


misfortune of the reckless

by ApocalypticNinja



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: A little bit of NSFW, Angst, Drunk Shenanigans, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, arthur blames himself for what happened, but also there's, but charles also blames himself, by some i mean a whole bunch, charles please smooch your bf he needs it, dare i say it, gentle forehead smooches and cuddles, no beta we die like men, some fluff at the end, the most nsfw thing of them all, these two share one brain cell and unfortunately neither of them know how to use it, they just make out kids calm down
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-13 20:10:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19258342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApocalypticNinja/pseuds/ApocalypticNinja
Summary: After beating a few guys at poker, Arthur and Charles accidentally start a fight in a tavern. They make an escape with a handful of cash and a damper on their pride, but alive nonetheless. They decide to stay the night in a seemingly abandoned cabin before making their way back to camp. There, they share a bottle of cheap alcohol and lots of kisses, and everything seems to finally be looking up.Until they realize the cabin has been surrounded by men who want them dead.





	misfortune of the reckless

**Author's Note:**

> okay i wrote this at like 4am so its probably a little messy, and this is the first thing i've ever done for this pairing! if you have any constructive criticism (or any tips to help me with writing their personalities) i would love to hear them! also, if you would like to add on to the angst train, i recommend listening to the acoustic version of "halo" by starset; that's what inspired me to write this!
> 
> OH! one more thing. there is a section in this that's entirely fluff, and arthur and charles are drunk as all hell. i headcanon they are both happy/sappy drunks, so yeah !! i had a LOT more in that section, but my app force-closed itself in the middle of writing and it didn't save so..that's fun. it was 10x spicier, but now it's all fluff!
> 
> //as usual, this is cross-posted onto my wattpad account as well.//

"Wait" Charles murmurs, pressing a hand against Arthur's chest to prevent him from going any further. His head was spinning from the alcohol, but he knew he had to keep Arthur from doing anything stupid. They couldn't afford to become reckless. They couldn't lose their lives in a situation like this, not after all the hell they've been through. Arthur questioningly turns to face him, opening his mouth to say something but Charles is quick to press a hand against his mouth to silence him. They couldn't just blindly run out of the cabin; they had to play it safe. They had to make sure to get out of here with as little amount of injuries as possible, hopefully none at all.

They already had enough bounty on their heads, but they still somehow managed to piss off the wrong people just to add onto it.

After their shenanigans at the tavern, they quickly fled with some cash and cheap liquor. Once they got far enough out of town, they came across this abandoned cabin. They decided to camp out for the night, but they were just lucky enough to choose the one place owned by the very people they were running from. Looking back now, Arthur can see how obvious it really was. They were too caught up in the high of having a nice thing going for them that they didn't notice the signs. He should've known to be more careful; they should've just made camp outside somewhere with a nice view, slept in the same tent. At least then they wouldn't have to worry about a false sense of security in a random cabin. However, the notion of sleeping next to Charles in an actual building instead of a tent was just too good to pass up. And now, here they are in this mess, risking their lives to escape the situation and find a safe place to rest. Again.

Charles pressed a finger to his own lips, motioning for Arthur to be quiet before slowly drawing his hand away from Arthur's mouth. Before slipping out the back door, they both drew their guns and Charles crouched low to the floor. The alcohol in Arthur's system was delaying his thoughts, and even though he saw Charles crouch, it took him a few moments (and Charles grabbing a fist full of his shirt and all but dragging him down) to crouch with him. Once they were outside, they both quickly surveyed the area for any signs of trouble before wandering off towards the barn, acutely aware of every noise they made.

Charles was worried that no matter how careful they were, they were going to get caught. If they were sober, they would have a much easier time of doing this..

Neither of them were in the right state for this shit.

Unbeknownst to them, the gang they were running from was already aware of their presence. It was a relatively small gang, but it had just enough people to easily overwhelm just the two of them. Charles and Arthur just so happened to piss off the leader and a couple of his loyal men. Great. Now the whole gang was loitering around, waiting for orders while also trying to seem nonchalant; a bunch of them appeared to just be passing through with how they arrived, striking up friendly conversation with one another. A few men arrived on horseback while some stood by the front door, talking lowly amongst themselves. They all had a hand either on or near their weapons, their gazes peering out past each other's eyes in search for Arthur and Charles. One man snuck around to the back of the cabin with his gun raised. He reached the back door and creaked it open, ready to head inside but suddenly stopping in his tracks. He glanced over to see the barn door slightly ajar for a few brief moments before creeping shut. He whistled for two more men to join him before trudging over towards the barn.

***

"You sure this is a good idea, Charles?" Arthur whispered. "What if they decide to come in here?"

"If they do, I highly doubt the whole gang will pile in here. They'll probably just send a couple men to scout the area, we can take 'em." Charles assured.

"We're only going linger here until they're all inside and distracted. Then we can-"

Suddenly the barn door swung open and immediately gunfire broke out. Three of the gang members couldn't see where they were hiding, but they were firing in any direction as both a scare tactic and hopes of hitting them.

Everything happened so fast, it was all a blur.  
One minute they were laughing and sharing a drink, the next they're being shot at.

_"You crazy son of a bitch, I can't believe you actually did it!" Arthur yelled as they rode out of town, the wind grazing his already flushed cheeks. A huge grin was plastered on his face as he looked at Charles, who wore a smile of his own. They ignored the angry yells coming from behind them, instead picking up the pace and running their horses off the trail and into the flurry of trees. Gunshots echoed all around them, but the pair easily avoided the bullets. As soon as they could no longer hear voices they slowed down, merely having their horses walk alongside one another._

_"Arthur, we're gonna have an even larger bounty on our heads now"_

_"Well, it'll be worth it! Those boys were askin' for it. They accused me of cheatin' even though I did no such thing."_

_Charles shook his head._

_"You sure about that, Arthur?"_

_Arthur only grinned. Charles sighed before speaking again._

_"Next time, hit with your knuckles. It'll hurt a hell of a lot less. And try not to get hurt anymore tonight, alright?"_

_Ahead of them the woods began to think out before reaching a clearing. In the far distance there was a lonely cabin, looking as though it was abandoned years ago. Arthur looked at Charles and cocked a brow, his smile growing before having his horse pick up the pace. Charles was quick to follow._

***

_Arthur made quick work of starting up a fire as Charles sat on the ground, waiting patiently with a blanket wrapped around him. Eventually Arthur got it started, just as Charles took a swig from the bottle. He scrunched up his nose and almost gagged. Arthur just chuckled in response as he sat between Charles' legs and Charles wrapped his arms around him almost immediately._

_" 's it that bad?"_

_"Tastes like horse piss, but it'll get the job done."_

_Arthur reached for the bottle, taking a drink himself. Charles pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head, laughter hidden in his hair when Arthur spluttered and coughed._

_"You weren't kidding"_

_Arthur wasn't sure how much time had passed when over half of the bottle was gone, but in that moment he didn't care. Charles just said something really funny, which sent Arthur into a laughing fit, even though he couldn't remember what it was he said. Arthur was turned to where he was seated in Charles' lap, laughing into the crook of his neck. Charles had one hand on the small of Arthur's back, the other tangled in his hair, the bottle discarded to the side. In this moment, nothing else in the world mattered but them, and they were ecstatic. Arthur pressed his lips to the side of Charles' neck, peppering kisses all over. Charles' soft laughter spurred Arthur on, and soon his teeth grazed the side of his neck, causing Charles to gasp and tighten his grip on Arthur's hair._

_Arthur presses one last kiss to his neck before leaning up and kissing him. Well, he kissed him in between small bursts of laughter, which in turn caused Charles to laugh as well._

_"What's so funny?"_

_"Nothin'.."_

_Arthur captured his lips in a kiss once more, fisting his hands in his shirt and pulling him impossibly closer. Charles wrapped his arm completely around Arthur, holing him close while his other hand threaded through Arthur's hair._

_They stayed in each other's embrace for hours, ignoring the rest of the world._

***

"Arthur!"

Just as Arthur turned to look Charles' way, a sharp _CRACK_ rang out and sent Arthur staggering backwards. He caught himself before falling, looking up just in time to dodge another punch to the nose. He lunged at the other man, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Arthur was quick to straddle him, landing blow after blow anywhere he could reach. He wanted to make sure it hurt, not caring at all about the burning pain in his nose or his knuckles. All too soon a pair of arms wrapped around him, yanking him up to his feet before punching him in the mouth. The familiar taste of blood filled his mouth and he wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the hit that made him see stars. Before Arthur could react, two gunshots echoed simultaneously through the air and suddenly Arthur couldn't breath. The world around him spun and A-rthur found himself staring at the ceiling. Time seemed to come to a slow halt as his vision began to grow hazy. He could faintly hear the sounds of a struggle, but it seemed so far away, as if it were in another room. No matter how much he blinked in an attempt to shake off that dizzy feeling, it wouldn't go away. In fact, it only seemed to be getting worse when all of a sudden everything around him began to grow dark. The last thing he heard was Charles screaming his name, his voice laced with fear.

***

Arthur woke to the feeling of a cool rag on his forehead and gentle hands roaming over his body, tracing all of the bruises and bandages etching his skin. Arthur jumped at the touch, not realizing where he was as he lurched forward in an attempt to get away. A hand was placed on his chest, weary of his wounds as he eased Arthur back down. So, they were finally back at camp. Arthur had no idea how -or when- they returned, but he's grateful to be out of that damn barn. It reeked of shit and Arthur would rather die anywhere but there.

"Easy now Arthur, don't worry, I've got you." Charles whispered.

Arthur finally looked at Charles, his heart sinking as he stubbornly refused to lay back down. Charles looked..rough. His bottom lip was busted and swollen, he had a black eye, and a multitude of bruises and bandages covering his body, and that's just from what Arthur could see. He was afraid to imagine what wounds were hiding beneath his clothes. Charles's hand ran from his bare chest to his head to smooth Arthur's hair back just as Arthur reached up and ran his thumb along Charles' bottom lip. Before he could say anything, Charles spoke first.

"You _fool_ ," he begins, causing Arthur to look away and hang his head. There's something different about Charles' voice. It was more sharp, wrecked with worry and unspoken fear that he lost Arthur for good. "I don't know what you were thinking, but seeing you get shot and take a fall like that.." Charles paused for a moment, swallowing hard and turning his head to face the wall. He closed his eyes, going quiet for a moment. 

He wanted to say so much more. He wanted to tell Arthur how worried he was, how he thought he had lost him. How much it hurt when he heard Arthur cry out before falling back, not another noise coming from him afterwards. Even after the others were gone; one man dead, shot not even a second after Arthur while the others fled. Charles didn't even think twice about shooting him. Afterwards he rushed to Arthur's side, worried that he was too late. 

_"Arthur!"_

_As soon as the sound of a gunshot reached his ears, Charles shoved the man off him, knocking him out cold before raising his gun to the man that shot Arthur. He rushed to Arthur's side, pressing a hand against the bullet hole in an attempt to stop the bleeding._

_"Arthur, come on, say something!" Charles pleaded._

Arthur's eyes stung with the familiar burn of unshed tears, yet he stubbornly refused to let them fall. Instead he squeezed his eyes shut, his mind screaming at him to just say _something_ , or to reach out to Charles and embrace him. To hold him close, tell him he was sorry, tell him how much he loved him.

But he said nothing.

A few tears rolled down his cheeks when Charles started speaking again. The entire time he spoke, Arthur just couldn't bring himself to look at him, even when Charles' words turned into a lecture. 

"I mean, just _what_ were you-" Charles turned to glare at Arthur, but whatever he was going to say immediately died in his throat at the sight of him. Tears that hadn't already tumbled down his cheeks were prickling the corners of his eyes, his head hung low and eyes shut tight. Charles grabs his hand and presses a soft kiss against bruised knuckles. Arthur opens his eyes and blinks the tears away, but also hurriedly wiping away the ones that fall. Charles scoots closer to Arthur and cupped his cheeks in his hands. 

"Hey," Charles breathes.

Arthur kept his gaze locked to the floor, and suddenly Charles couldn't speak. As he tried to find his words, he gingerly brought their foreheads together and wiped away the streaks of tears with his thumbs. Charles wasn't the best at communicating his feelings, but then again neither was Arthur. Charles let out a soft sigh before continuing.

"...I didn't mean to lecture you, you just..scared me. I thought you were gone, and I blamed myself. If I would have just listened to you, then maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Arthur slowly dragged his gaze from the floor to Charles. He placed his hands atop Charles' own before turning his head and pressing a kiss to his palm. 

"You know that ain't true, Charles. I probably would have gotten myself killed if I hadn't listened to you. Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily." 

Charles finally smiled, shaking his head. 

"I guess you're right."

**Author's Note:**

> ahh the ending is cheesy but whatever dude! i had SO much more written down, but the app i was using to write this crashed and i lost over half of my work :^(  
> this was fun to write though! i plan to write more for this pairing in the future!


End file.
